Dusty Books and Intricate Clocks
by Wolf On The Rocks
Summary: Set in the 20's A 22 year old Evelyn Carnahan bumps into a 24 year old Monroe in a bookshop in America, cue fluff and awkward nerdy flirting... just a one shot really if you read please review


_**I'm so in love with Evelyn Carnahan/O'Connell and while her and Rick are my OTP forever. I really want to see some fic between her and Monroe from Grimm because I just think they'd be so cute together. I did want someone else to write it… but no one else wanted to so here we go… **_

_**If you read please review =)  
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_**Set in the 20's, the idea being Evelyn is visiting America and she bumps into Monroe in a bookshop =) **_

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><p>Evelyn Carnahan had been in America for just under a week, taking up a dusty old room, in a shabby motel in a small woodland town. Evelyn had expected America to be a lot less green. She had been expecting to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the busy big city life that she often heard about from tourists who passed through the library at home. Evelyn had jumped at the chance to travel abroad, Mr Brown, the owner of the small library she worked at back home had come over to America on business. The idea was Mr Brown would enjoy a holiday with his wife and children sending Evelyn off to look for the collectables he wanted, books for his vast collection, presents for his wife. While Mr Brown explored, Evelyn had been put up in the motel. She couldn't complain, she found something vastly magical about the greenery around her, about being so close to the woods.<p>

While Evelyn craved the dusty sands of Egypt more than anything, to work with the mummies and sarcophagi it was still nice to be in a place that had an air of magic and mystery about it. So here she was in the small bookshop, which felt like home. Any place where the dusty smell of aging paper lifted itself from the pages of a book made her feel at home. The book shop was ancient and everything was ordered alphabetically, she had come in searching for any books she could find on ancient Egypt, as she moved around the shop though she noticed a section entitled myths and legends and headed into it almost tripping over the armchairs seated either side of a table.

Monroe entered the shop head bent as always he pushed his glasses back up his nose nervously, years of being the odd one out would do that to you. Monroe headed over to the familiar section he knew housed those books on time pieces. He was wondering if anything new was in, which was silly, nothing new had come in within the past two weeks. He sniffed the air breathing the musty smell deep into his lungs, it was one of his favorite smells in the world.

Monroe was 24 he should have been married with children by now. He should have been following in his father and brothers footsteps and helping to run the family business. Instead he was living in the woods in a house he'd built himself with barely any help from his family. Monroe was earning a steady living as a clock maker, relying on his brains and craving the intricacies of a well-made pocket watch rather than the intricacies of the wood yard. He was strong yes but he wanted more than what his brothers had set themselves up for. He craved information and knowledge he had done from a young age.

He let out a long sigh and moved through the shop, he stopped suddenly. He could smell something different in the shop, someone different. The scent had a slight sweetness to it, that of perfume, it was a woman. Monroe put his head down and walked in the opposite direction, Monroe was not unattractive and women seemed to like him, his size, his stature, his beard, all until he opened his mouth. Monroe could never find the right words. He always made some quirky out of place joke or an obscure reference that the women in the town bars didn't get because they wouldn't pick up a book beyond that of the star magazines.

Evelyn stood for a while examining the books on the shelves, not fully aware of how much time had passed or even if she was alone in the shop still.

She decided she would limit herself to three books, three rather heavy volumes on fairy tales and myths and legends. Egypt would always have her heart but she might as well do some other reading while she was here, how many other 22 year olds got the chance to fly to America expenses paid.

She wandered to the end of the aisle not bothering to look forward instead looking around at the books stacked on the shelves. So she didn't see him walking the same way.

5 books flew into the air and landed with a crash on the floor as the two people collided.

'Oh dear, I'm so sorry.' Evelyn replied looking up over her glasses she went a little red in the cheeks when she saw it was a man.

'You're English!' he replied watching her.

'And you're American.' She replied a little defensively, scooping the books up into her arms.

'Sorry.' Monroe muttered and he blushed a little, pushing his glasses up his nose again. A nervous habit he'd developed, being the odd one in the family he'd learnt to keep his head down too another bad habit when he was walking along. Evelyn smiled at him.

'I think I got one of yours sorry.' He said handing her over a book. 'Grimm's fairy tales huh?' he asked, he pushed the thick black glasses up his nose again feeling a little warm, a little self-conscious. 'Did you know that the Brothers Grimm didn't necessarily come up with all the things in here, they apparently travelled around Europe taking stories from various cul… sorry.' He blushed realizing he was babbling.

'Really?' Evelyn asked her eyes a little wide in wonder.

'Yes.' Monroe said, he looked at Evelyn and shuffled awkwardly, only one book in his hand. Evelyn was waiting for him to elaborate but he didn't.

'Oh! Sorry!' Evelyn said she looked in her hands and found a book on time and the intricacies of clock making. She opened it rather than handing it back.

'You're a clock maker?' she asked a little surprised. Monroe shifted awkwardly again, she would have expected him to have been anything but, he was tall and stocky, a beard and thick black hair on the top of his head. He wore thin gold wire rimmed glasses. She wouldn't have pictured him as a clock maker. She scolded herself slightly for prejudging.

Monroe looked a little confused as Evelyn scrunched her face up, the thick dark rimmed glasses shifting a little on her face, the deep brown eyes behind them twinkling a little.

'Yes I am.' He replied. 'I mainly fix them for a living.'

'How interesting,' Evelyn said she'd opened his book and ran her finger over the page and the chapter titles. 'There's a whole chapter in here on ancient time keeping.' She said no longer paying attention. He studied her wavy dark brown hair for a second, he liked the way her appearance wasn't so neat and tidy, not as prim and proper as some of the women he'd encountered before, she still appeared thoroughly comfortable and looked rather beautiful with it. He noticed only once she moved to smooth her appearance and that was to tuck a piece of fly away hair behind her ear, which was getting in the way of her reading. Monroe could smell her too. He couldn't be sure of it but intermingled with the sweet scent she gave off was the smell of dusty books. That could of course just be the books in the shop though but it didn't smell quite the same as those.

Monroe shook his head, he pushed his glasses back up his nose with the free hand, he didn't even dare to dream of the kind of encounter he wished he could have with this woman.

'Yes well, can I?' He asked her for the book. 'Got to get back to work.' He said rocking forward a little one hand held out for the book.

'Yes, Sorry.' She replied passing him back the book. 'Well it was nice to meet you Mr?' she said juggling the books clumsily and sticking a hand out to shake his.

'It's just Monroe..' he said shaking her hand.

'I was Evelyn, I mean I'm still Evelyn but.. well.. oh never mind.' She said tripping over her words and letting out a small laugh. He liked the sound of her voice, her English accent seemed to stir something inside him.

'Ready to buy then are we?' An old man appeared from behind the counter clapping his hands together and smiling at them.

'Oh yes.' Evelyn beamed back. She made to move as did Monroe. Evelyn gestured for Monroe to go first as he did the same, she let out another small awkward laugh.

'No you go.' She smiled and he stepped forward to the counter, the man behind the counter was giving Monroe a knowing smile, which made him feel all the more nervous. Monroe paid and nodded awkwardly.

'Well it was nice meeting you Just Monroe.' Evelyn smiled at him as he moved to walk out of the shop, Monroe turned and nodded, flushing a little, embarrassed. He moved outside but chanced a glance back into the shop, one last look before she disappeared. He smiled to himself.


End file.
